DRAINAGE DEVICE FOR A COOKING APPLIANCE

Abstract

A drainage device (10) for a cooking appliance, such as a braising pan or flyer, characterized in that it comprises a collector (12) having an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice that are connected together by a collection chamber, and in that the device also comprises means (16, 62) for moving and guiding the collector, said means being designed to engage with said appliance in order to allow the collector to be moved between at least two positions.

Claims

1. A drainage device for a cooking appliance, characterized in that the drainage device comprises a collector having an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice that are connected together by a collection chamber, and in that the device also comprises means for moving and guiding the collector, said means for moving and guiding being designed to engage with said appliance in order to allow the collector to be moved between at least two positions.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the collector has the overall shape of a box.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the means for moving and guiding are designed to allow the collector to be moved at least in a plane approximately perpendicular to the axis of said inlet orifice.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the collector is carried by an arm of which one end is designed to be articulated about an axis of movement of the collector.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that said axis of movement is approximately parallel to an axis of said inlet orifice.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the outlet orifice of the collector is connected to a flexible drain hose.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises a handle for moving the collector.

8. A cooking appliance in the form of a braising pan or fryer, having at least one cooking wall having a drain hole, characterized in that it also comprises a device as claimed in claim 1, the collector being movable at least between a first position in which said inlet orifice communicates with the drain hole and a second position in which said inlet orifice does not communicate with the drain hole.

9. The appliance as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the cooking wall is a bottom wall of a cooking vessel.

10. The appliance as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that an annular seal is fitted at the drain hole and comprises a bearing end for bearing against the peripheral edge of the inlet orifice of the collector.

11. The appliance as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the collector is located under the cooking wall and is connected by connecting means to a handle which is located at the front of the cooking appliance.

12. The appliance as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the connecting means pass through a guide slot in a front wall of the cooking appliance.

13. The appliance as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the slot comprises an approximately horizontal rectilinear part connected at each of its ends to an approximately vertical part.

14. The appliance as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that return means (80) urges the collector (12) into said first position and/or into said second position.

15. The appliance as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that it has at least one removable tank is disposed beneath a cooktop and is designed to recover drained products when the collector is in said second position.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] The invention will be better understood and further details, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reading the following description that is given by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0026] FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic perspective views of a cooking appliance according to the invention, this appliance having at least one removable tank which is in the stowed position in FIG. 1 and the extracted position in FIG. 2;

[0027] FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic perspective and sectional views of the cooking appliance from FIGS. 1 and 2, the removable tank being in the stowed position in FIG. 3 and in the extracted position in FIG. 4;

[0028] FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic perspective views of an upper part of the appliance from FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0029] FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic views of the lower face of the upper part of the appliance from FIGS. 1 and 2, and show two different positions of a collector of a drainage device according to the invention;

[0030] FIGS. 9 and 10 are schematic perspective views of a drainage device according to the invention;

[0031] FIG. 11 is a partial schematic perspective and sectional view on a larger scale of the drainage device from FIGS. 9 and 10 and of a drain hole of a cooking wall of the cooking appliance from FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0032] FIG. 12 is a partial schematic view of the front face of a variant embodiment of a cooking appliance according to the invention; and

[0033] FIGS. 13 and 14 are schematic side views of the cooking appliance from FIG. 12, showing two different positions of the recovery tanks of this appliance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] FIGS. 1 to 11 show particular exemplary embodiments of a drainage device 10 according to the invention (visible in particular in FIGS. 9 and 10) and of a cooking appliance 20 having such a device.

[0035] FIGS. 1 and 2 show the cooking appliance 20 as a whole, the cooking appliance in this case being a braising pan or fryer.

[0036] Typically, this type of appliance has a parallelepipedal overall shape and has an approximately vertical front face (that is accessible to a user) and an approximately vertical rear face, approximately vertical side faces that are perpendicular to the front and rear faces, and an approximately horizontal upper face (that is also accessible to a user) and an approximately horizontal lower face. As in the example shown, in order to set the upper face of the appliance 20 at a given height and to make it easier to clean the ground under the appliance, the appliance 20 may be equipped with height-adjustable feet 22, resting on the ground, which are connected to the lower face of the appliance.

[0037] The appliance 20 has essentially two parts, an upper part 24 and a lower part 26. The lower part 26 of the appliance comprises two side walls which define between one another a space 28 for housing at least one recovery tank 30, 32. The space 28 opens onto the front face of the appliance 20 such that the tanks 30, 32 are accessible from the front of the appliance.

[0038] The tanks 30, 32 are in this case removable. They are fitted one behind the other on a sliding frame 34, for example by way of a system of slide rails. The tanks 30, 32 are in this case movable in a horizontal plane and in a direction approximately perpendicular to the front face of the appliance.

[0039] The tanks 30, 32 can be moved from a stowed position, shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in which they are both housed in the space 28, to an extracted position, shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, in which they are both extracted from the space 28. They can be moved into any intermediate position between the two abovementioned extreme positions.

[0040] The tank 30, located at the front, can be a tank for recovering cooking products (such as a GN tank). The tank 32, located at the rear, can be a tank for collecting cooking oil, in this case having a smaller volume than the tank 30.

[0041] The upper part 24 of the appliance 20 comprises means for heating and for regulating the heating of a cooking wall 36, which is in this case an approximately horizontal lower wall of a cooking vessel 38.

[0042] The cooking vessel 38 has in this case an approximately vertical front wall and rear wall and approximately vertical side walls. These walls extend upward from the cooking wall 36 and define with the latter a volume intended to contain products to be cooked. The front wall forms in this case a dihedron, the apex of which is oriented toward the front of the appliance 20.

[0043] The vessel 38 is in this case of the fixed type, that is to say it is fitted in a fixed manner on the appliance 20 and is not intended to be removed or tilted in order to be drained.

[0044] The cooking wall 36 preferably comprises a single drain hole 40. This limits cleaning and simplifies the cooking vessel 38 compared with a separate drain for the product and a drain for washing or cooking water. The hole 40 is in this case located in the vicinity of the front end of the cooking wall 36, approximately in the middle of the latter. It can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 that the vertical median plane of the appliance 20 passing from the front to the rear in the middle of the vessel 38 passes through the hole 40 and through the apex of the abovementioned dihedron.

[0045] The means for heating and regulating the heating of the appliance 20 are not part of the invention and will not be described in the present application. The regulating means are located on the front face of the appliance 20 and are accessible to the user. The heating means are located beneath the cooking wall 36.

[0046] The upper part 24 of the appliance 20 can be connected by an appropriate means 42 to a general water inlet, with a view to using water for cooking the products and for cleaning the vessel 38 after it has been used.

[0047] The upper part 24 of the appliance 20 furthermore comprises an approximately horizontal lower wall 44 which extends under the cooking wall 36 and at a distance therefrom. This wall 44 may be made of ferromagnetic material for reasons which will be explained later on in the following text.

[0048] The wall 44 comprises a hole 46 for draining the vessel 38, which is aligned vertically with the hole 40 in the vessel 38. The holes 40, 46 are connected together by a cylindrical tube 48 which may have a diameter greater than or equal to 30 or 40 mm, for example 60 mm.

[0049] The upper end of the tube 48 is fixed beneath the cooktop 36 and its lower end can pass through the hole 46 and project from the inner face of the wall 44, as is more easily visible in FIG. 11.

[0050] An annular seal 50 may be fitted between the lower end of the tube 48 and the peripheral edge of the hole 46. In the example shown, the seal 50 comprises a cylindrical tubular part which surrounds the lower end of the tube 48 and which comprises at its upper end an outer annular lip 52 for bearing axially (along the axis B of the tube) against the upper face of the wall 44. The tubular part of the seal 50 comprises at its lower end an inner annular lip 54 for bearing axially against the lower free end of the tube. The tubular part of the seal 50 furthermore comprises an outer annular collar 56 which extends beneath the wall 44 and has in this case an approximately L- or V-shaped cross section. This collar 56 comprises an upper annular part 56a that extends downward and radially toward the outside (with respect to the axis B of the tube) from the tubular part of the seal 50 and is connected by its lower outer periphery to a lower annular part 56b that extends downward and radially toward the inside. This collar 56 is axially compressible, its lower free end forming bearing means.

[0051] The lower wall 44 has an L-shaped cross section and comprises at its front end an approximately vertical lip 58 which extends downward and delimits a part of the front face of the appliance 20. This lip 58 comprises a guide slot 60, as will be described in more detail in the following text.

[0052] According to the invention the cooking appliance 20 is equipped with a removable drainage device 10 which makes it possible in a reliable and economical manner to drain the vessel 38 either by evacuating all or part of its contents to the sewer, or by evacuating it toward at least one of the tanks 28, 30.

[0053] FIGS. 9 and 10 show an embodiment of the drainage device 10 according to the invention.

[0054] In the example shown, the device 10 comprises essentially three parts: a collector 12, an arm 14 for supporting and moving the collector 12, and an operating handle 16.

[0055] The arm 14 has a rectilinear elongate shape and comprises a rear longitudinal end and a front longitudinal end.

[0056] In the example shown, the arm 14 is formed by a folded metal sheet which has an elongate shape and of which the longitudinal edges are folded downward, the transverse front edge is folded downward and the rear transverse edge is folded upward.

[0057] At its rear longitudinal end, the arm 14 comprises an orifice 62, the axis of which is oriented approximately vertically. The orifice 62 is in this case formed in the middle of an approximately horizontal rear transverse lip 64 of the arm 14. This lip 64 is obtained by bending the abovementioned rear transverse edge of the metal sheet of the arm 14.

[0058] The orifice 62 in the arm 14 is passed through by an approximately vertical articulation pin fixed to the lower wall 44, such that the arm 14 can be moved at least in rotation with respect to this pin in an approximately horizontal plane. As will be seen below, the arm 14 can also be moved, with a smaller amplitude, in approximately vertical planes.

[0059] In the fitted position, the rear lip 64 of the arm 14 can be applied to the lower face of the wall 44 and can slide over this face during rotational movements of the arm about the abovementioned pin.

[0060] As is visible in FIGS. 7 and 8, the arm 14 is movable in rotation from a first position (FIG. 7) to a second position (FIG. 8). The angular travel of the arm 14 between the two positions is in this case around 30.

[0061] The front longitudinal end of the arm 14 carries the handle 16 and the collector 12.

[0062] The collector 12 has the overall shape of a box or cup which is approximately parallelepipedal and comprises two orifices, an inlet orifice 65 and an outlet orifice 66, respectively, which are connected together by a collection chamber 68. The axis of the inlet orifice 65 is oriented approximately vertically. The inlet orifice 65 is formed in this case by an orifice in the metal sheet of the arm 14. The axis of the outlet orifice 66 is oriented approximately horizontally. It is located at the rear of the collector 12 and is connected to a front end of a flexible connecting hose 70, the rear end of which is connected to one end of an angled connector 72. The other end of the connector 72 is intended to be connected, for example by another flexible hose, to the sewer.

[0063] The collector 12 comprises a front wall and a rear wall that are approximately parallel, an upper wall which is formed by a part of the metal sheet of the arm 14 and is thus approximately horizontal, and a lower wall which is inclined downward from the front to the rear, as is visible in FIG. 11. These walls define between one another the collection chamber 68 of the collector 12. The lower wall of the collector 12 is in this case in the form of a dihedron of which the apex is oriented downward. This wall is arranged such that the lowest point of the collection chamber 68 is located just in front of the outlet orifice 66 of the collector.

[0064] The assembly composed of the collector 12, the hose 70 and the connector 72 may have a slope that is intended to avoid drained products, such as water, being held back and to make it easier to evacuate them.

[0065] The handle 16 is in this case formed by a U-shaped front part of a rigid metal rod, such as a steel wire. This rod comprises an approximately rectilinear rear part 74 for connecting the handle 16 to the front end of the arm 14. In the example shown, the rear part 74 of the rod passes through an orifice in a lateral extension 76 of the front transverse edge of the arm 14 and is fixed to this extension.

[0066] The rear part 74 of the rod passes through the slot 60 in the lip 58 of the wall 44, this slot serving as a guide during the movement of the arm 14, this movement being carried out directly by the user by means of the handle 16. The rod (and in particular the rear part 74 thereof) has a diameter less than the width of the slot 60.

[0067] The slot 60 has an overall U-shape and comprises an approximately horizontal rectilinear part of which the length defines the angular travel of the arm 14. In FIG. 7, the rear part 74 of the rod is located at a (right-hand) end of the slot 60 and, in FIG. 8, it is located at the opposite (left-hand) end of the slot 60.

[0068] In order to avoid unintentional movement of the arm 14 in the slot 60, the latter comprises, at each of its ends, a vertical part in which the rear part 74 of the rod can be inserted, thereby blocking the arm 14 in the corresponding position. A movement of the rod in a vertical end part of the slot 60 brings about a movement of the collector 12 and of the arm 14 in an approximately vertical plane.

[0069] The drainage device 10 is advantageously equipped with return means that urge the arm 14 against the lower wall 44 and thus urge the rear part 74 of the rod into the upper end of a vertical part of the slot 60 when this part 74 is located in the corresponding longitudinal end of the horizontal part of the slot 60. Thus, when the rod is in the position shown in FIG. 7 (and also in FIGS. 3, 4 and 11), it is urged into the end of the right-hand vertical part of the slot 60 and, when the rod is in the position shown in FIG. 8 (and also in FIGS. 5 and 6), it is urged into the end of the left-hand vertical part of the slot 60.

[0070] In the example shown, the return means comprise a magnet 80 that is carried by the arm 14 and engages directly with the lower part 44 which is made of ferromagnetic material. In a variant, the return means could comprise a spring-type system.

[0071] In the position shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8, it can be seen that the collector 12 is at a distance from the lower end of the drainage tube 48. Thus, the products contained in the cooking vessel 38 can be evacuated through the tube 48 to one of the tanks 30, 32. When cooking products such as pasta are intended to be recovered, the tanks 30, 32 are arranged in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 such that the cooking products exiting the tube 48 drop directly into the tank 30. When oil is intended to be recovered, the tanks 30, 32 are arranged in the position shown in FIG. 2, such that the oil can flow from the tube 48 and drop directly into the tank 32.

[0072] In the position shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 7 and 11, it can be seen that the collector 12 is aligned vertically with the drainage tube 48 such that products such as cooking water contained in the cooking vessel 38 can be evacuated to the sewer by way of the collector 12 and the hose 70. In this position, as described above, the arm 14 and the collector 12 are urged by the magnet 80 toward the wall 44 and the peripheral edge of the inlet orifice 65 of the collector 12 bears axially (in a direction parallel to the axis B) against the lower end of the seal 50 (in this case against the inner annular lip 54 thereof). The return force exerted by the magnet 80 is sufficient to axially compress the seal 50 and provide a good seal for the fluidic connection between the drainage tube 48 and the collector 12. The collar 56 of the seal bears by way of its lower end against the arm 14 and is axially compressed, thereby ensuring a second seal around the inlet orifice 65. As a result of the inclination of the lower wall of the collector 12, the products which flow from the tube 48 into the collector are carried to the outlet orifice 66 of the collector by gravity in order to then flow to the sewer.

[0073] The particular shape of the slot 60 makes it possible to move the collector 12 horizontally without touching the seal 50, and thus without risking damaging the latter by friction. The flexibility of the hose 70 allows it to follow the various movements of the collector 12 about the axis A.

[0074] The various components of the drainage device 10 can be made of metal material(s) and be joined together by welding or brazing.

[0075] The cooking appliance 20 may be used for example in the following way.

[0076] The position of the collector 12 that is shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 7 and 11 is known as the drainage position. This position makes it possible to evacuate the contents of the vessel 38 toward the sewer. The position of the collector 12 that is shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8 is known as the recovery position. This position makes it possible to evacuate the contents of the vessel 38 into a tank 30, 32 located beneath the vessel 38.

[0077] In the drainage position, the inlet orifice 65 of the collector 12 is aligned with the drainage tube 48 of the vessel 38. The products present in the vessel 38 can flow through the drainage tube 48 into the collector 12 and then into the hose 70 and finally into the connector 72 as far as the sewer. The seal 50 provides the seal between the tube 48 and the collector 12. This position is mainly used to evacuate cooking water and washing water.

[0078] When the user wishes to change the position of the collector 12 in order to pass into the recovery position, he lowers the handle 16 of the device 10 and moves it (in the example shown) toward the left in order to bring it to the left-hand end of the slot 60. The magnetic return means 80 then carry the handle 16 toward the top of the slot 60 and consequently the collector 12.

[0079] In this position, the collector 12 is offset toward the left-hand side of the appliance, freeing up the space located beneath the drainage tube 48. The user can empty the vessel 48 into the tank 30 located in the space 28. This position is generally used to recover foodstuffs (meat in sauce, vegetables, starchy foods, etc.). This position also serves to recover the oil after frying. In this case, the tank 32 is positioned under the drainage tube 48.

[0080] Since the drainage device 10 is secured in this case to a wall 44 of the appliance 10, disassembly and maintenance of the device can be carried out by disconnecting this wall of the appliance 20 with the aid of screws for example and by disconnecting the hose 70 from the connector 72.

[0081] The drainage tube 48 which comprises a smooth inner cylindrical surface having a large diameter is easy to clean manually without being removed.

[0082] FIGS. 12 to 14 show a variant embodiment of a cooking appliance 20 according to the invention, this appliance 20 having all of the features described in the above text, in particular as far as the drainage device 10 is concerned.

[0083] The appliance 20 also comprises a retractable system for easily positioning the opening in the tank 32 for recovering oil opposite the drainage tube 48 so as to make it easier to align them in order to recover oil from the cooking vessel.

[0084] The appliance 20 comprises, on its front face, a rotary button 90 which is connected to a front end of an L-shaped rod 92. The rear end 94 of the rod 92, opposite the button 90, is bent through about 90. The button 90 is in this case carried by the abovementioned front lip 58 of the appliance 20 (which also has the slot 60), the rod 92 passing through an orifice in this lip 58.

[0085] The button 90 is movable in rotation about an approximately horizontal axis between a first position (represented by solid lines in FIGS. 12 to 14) in which the rear end 94 of the rod 92 is oriented vertically downward, and a second position (represented by dashed lines in FIG. 12) in which the rear end 94 is oriented vertically upward. The button 90 can be urged into its first position by a spring-type return system.

[0086] As is visible in FIGS. 13 and 14, the rear end 94 of the rod 92 is located at the downstream end of the collector 12. In other words, the rear ends of the rod 92 and of the collector 12 are located approximately in one and the same approximately vertical plane parallel to the front face of the appliance 20.

[0087] The rear end 94 of the rod 92 has a length such that it forms a stop means for an element carried by the sliding frame 34 or the tank for recovering oil 32. In the example shown, the sliding frame 34 has a vertical lip 96 that is intended to bear against the end 94 of the rod 92 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the front face of the appliance 20 in order to limit the travel of the frame 34 when it is extracted from the space 28 in the appliance 20.

[0088] The lip 96 is positioned on the frame 34 such that, when it bears against the end 94 of the rod 92 (that is to say when it is located approximately in the abovementioned vertical plane), the tank 32 is aligned vertically with the drainage tube of axis B of the appliance 20 such that the oil pours from the cooking vessel into the tank 32.

[0089] It will thus be understood that, when the tanks 30, 32 are in the stowed position (visible in FIG. 1 for example), the drainage of the cooking vessel without the aid of the drainage device 10 will bring about the evacuation of the products contained in the vessel toward the tank 30. The user only has to pull the sliding frame 34 forward until the lip 96 comes into abutment against the rod 92 in order to recover the oil contained in the vessel in the tank 32 (FIG. 13). When the user wishes to have access to the tank 32, or else to the tank 30, it is sufficient for him to turn the button 90 (through at least a quarter turn as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, or a half turn as in the case shown by way of dashed lines in FIG. 12), in order to be able to move the sliding frame 34 further forward.

[0090] As is visible in FIGS. 13 and 14, the appliance 20 can be equipped with a front door 98 for closing the space 28.

[0091] The appliance 20 can also comprise means for indicating the position of the drainage device 10 and in particular of the collector 12. FIG. 12 shows that the front face of the appliance 20 can comprise relevant schematic drawings 100, 102. The drawing 100 indicates to the user that the collector 12 is in the abovementioned recovery position and the drawing 102 indicates that the collector is in the position of draining to the sewer. The appliance 20 can comprise at least one indicator lamp 104 for indicating the position of the collector 12 to the user, in this case located next to the drawing 102.

[0092] Generally, however it is used (drainage into a tank or to the sewer), the invention provides more rapid drainage than the existing systems. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the drainage of 15 L of products into a recovery tank takes 10 s (10 seconds) with the invention as opposed to 38 s for a conventional vessel which is tilted in order to be emptied (19 s) and which is then returned to its horizontal position (19 s). The drainage of 15 L of products to the sewer takes 20 s with the invention as opposed to 35 s for a conventional vessel.

[0093] If the quantity of liquid or foodstuffs to be evacuated is reduced, the difference between the invention and the existing systems is even more evident, with the tilting time remaining identical for the existing appliances. The drainage of 5 L of products into a recovery tank takes 4 s with the invention as opposed to 38 s for a conventional vessel (19 s+19 s).

[0094] The word approximately is used in connection with various terms above, including the terms perpendicular, parallel, horizontal and vertical. Alternatively, the word substantially may be used in connection with any of the various terms, including the terms perpendicular, parallel, horizontal or vertical and in accordance with its plain and ordinary meaning to those of ordinary skill in the art.